His Brother's Widow
by ShinkonoKokoro
Summary: Inu Yasha dies, leaving Kagome and her children alone. She turns to Sesshoumaru for support and care. It turns into something else.
1. Chapter 1

"Milord, there's an angry disgruntled dirty woman at the front gate."

Looking up from his desk, the man's usual frown deepened. "A woman?"

"Yes, milord; she's asking for you. You specifically," his short servant stressed. "And she's rather impatient, asking for you to meet her immediately."

"Does she have a name, Jaken?"

He shook his head miserably. "No, milord, but she will not be detained for long, I fear..."

The man stood, silver hair rippling in the dimming light. "Show her in, I suppose."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." He backed out of the room, scurrying away.

His golden eyes narrowed and he sighed, wondering what this woman could possibly want. Padding silently down the hall, Sesshoumaru made his way towards the front entrance.

"Won't you please follow me, miss..." Jaken ordered.

"Sesshoumaru," the woman said upon seeing him. Her blue eyes met his, dirty face set in determination.

"Who are you, woman, and why do you know me?" He folded his arms, unimpressed by her temerity. Indignation rolled off her in waves, dirty cloth covering her head and draped unflatteringly around her body. Her black hair was matted and tangled, flying wildly from underneath her head covering. And she smelled, he noted with a wrinkled nose as the breeze picked up.

"My names is Kagome," she said proudly. "I am your brother's widow."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "My brother...?"

"Yes. Inu Yasha is dead. I'm sorry for your loss," she said, voice hard and eyes flinty. She certainly didn't appear to be sorry.

"My half-brother," Sesshoumaru corrected. "Inu Yasha was my half brother. And his affairs are none of mine." He began to turn away.

"Wait!" She barked, hurrying forward.

"You stay here!" Jaken shrieked.

"I'm your brother's _widow_! You--"

"I don't care who you are, woman. That thing's affairs are none of mine. Now leave."

"Wha...! You can't send me away! The law says--"

"The law?! What does--"

"It's against the law to send me away, Sesshoumaru. If a man dies, the responsibility for the widow goes to his brother. You must care for me now. Me and my children."

Sesshoumaru stared at the shocking woman, incredulous. "You..."

"Shippo! Rin!" Kagome yelled, never breaking eye-contact with him.

A small boy trotted into view from behind a bush, dragging a girl-child by the hand. His ruddy hair was in similar condition, the girl's matted similarly. Their faces were filthy.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sesshoumaru muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jaken, send them away."

"You can't. I will go to the law, Sesshoumaru. And I doubt even _your_ reputation can withstand the scorn of throwing a woman out on the streets."

He met her challenging gaze, frowning deeply. "Prove you are my brother's wife. Widow."

The woman rolled her eyes. "You're as much of a jerk as he is. Your brother shares the same father, born of a different woman by the name of Izayoi. He was ambitious and impetuous. However..." She slipped her pack off her back and drew a beaten sword from it, throwing it at his feet. "he died defending our village. Stubborn bastard. That belonged to your father."

Sesshoumaru was silent, staring at the blade. "Jaken. Bring it to me." He stared at the woman while his mostly incompetent servant brought the blade to him. His brother's children stared up at him, clutching to the woman's skirts.

"Milord..." Jaken bowed his head, holding the blade up to him.

Sesshoumaru grasped the handle, inspecting the sword and finding it true. "This is my father's sword, given to Inu Yasha."

Kagome folded her arms, arching an eyebrow at him. "You will shelter us then?"

His lips tightened and eyes narroed, but he grudgingly said yes.

"Thank you..." Kagome said, sincerely, her blue eyes full of warmth and grief. The stiffness seemed to leech right out of her as she sank down, pulling her children to her chest.

"Jaken."

His servant jumped. "Milord!"

"Tell the servants to prepare a room and a bath. Also, begin dinner."

"Yes, milord!" He scurried off.

"And you," Sesshoumaru said sharply to Kagome. "you are not my wife. Do not behave so. Keep your children under control in my house."

"Of course. I will help out any way I can. Thank you for taking us in."

Despite himself, a wry smile curved the corner of his mouth. "You did not give me much choice..."

"I did what was necessary..." she murmured, blue eyes catching his while a flush covered her cheeks.

"Hn. Very well. Come in. Be prompt for dinner." He turned away, returning to his study.

"So you have no wife of your own?" Kagome asked as she entered the dining room, Rin and Shippo behind her.

Hiding his surprise of her presence and the question, Sesshoumaru looked up, unable to hide his surprise at her appearance.

"Something wrong?" She murmured to her boy who sat down politely. The girl sat next to him.

"I beg your pardon?" Her face and her hair were clean, and his servants had found her fresh clothing. Her skin was appealingly tan, making her unusual blue eyes accentuated. Her hair draped over her shoulders in loose waves, shining blue in the light. She was slim and supple, a trim waist and attractive curves. Apparently his half-brother had some taste after all...

"I asked if something was wrong? You looked...perplexed."

"Hn. No. Please sit."

Kagome nodded. "Very well. Sesshoumaru, here is your nephew, Shippo. And this is your niece, Rin. Shippo is five, and Rin just turned four. Say hello, children."

"Nice to meet you, Uncle Sesshoumaru," they chorused, the boy grinning while the girl looked at her hands in her lap.

"A pleasure to meet you, Shippo. Rin," he returned formally. They really were rather attractive children.

The servants walked in carrying the food and setting it on the table.

The rest of dinner passed almost enjoyably for Sesshoumaru. He'd not had a dinner guest for some time. Kagome was a capable woman and her conversational skills were excellent, handling herself with surprising grace. He enjoyed debating and speaking with her, though he would never admit that to her. After all, she was imposing upon his hospitality. He cursed the law mentally. And his incompetent half-brother.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm going to put the children to bed, and then I'll return."

Sipping his sake, Sesshoumaru nodded non-committally. She left quietly, leaving Sesshoumaru with the company of his thoughts. Perhaps having the woman around would not be disadvantageous. Her manner was not irritating. Her children, his niece and nephew, were apparently well-behaved, speaking well of Kagome's sense of duty and order. She was forward-thinking and plucky, but held to a strong sense of responsibility. And she was intelligent. Inu Yasha hadn't made her stupid, apparently. He wouldn't be surprised if Kagome had told him that it were she who managed the household, ruling from behind the scenes. She--

"Sesshoumaru..."

"Woman, you--"

"My name is 'Kagome,' Sesshoumaru. Please call me that," she said quietly but firmly.

"Your boy--"

"Your nephew."

He arched an eyebrow at her, her quiet smile reprimanding him. Again, he couldn't help the smile quirk at the corner of his mouth. "_Kagome_, my _nephew and niece_ went to bed quickly?"

She laughed, warm and intimate. "Yes, Sesshoumaru. They shall be asleep shortly. Would you like a massage?"

He blinked at her slowly, her laugh resonating with something within him. "A massage?" The request was rather intimate.

"Yes. To help you relax. May I?" She extended a hand, leaning forward of her heels.

"Hn. Very well." He folded his hands before him, extending her his trust.

Her smile became secret and he thought he saw a twinkle in her eye as she stood and moved behind him, her small hands kneading his shoulders. "Gracious, you're tense."

"Mm. My half-brother died protecting your village?"

"Yes. Inu Yasha did."

"How long ago?"

"About four months."

"Four months. So what have you been doing in the meantime?" He dropped his head, pulling his long hair in front of him, allowing her easier access to his tense shoulders.

"Doing? Trying to survive. Travelling. Learning how to protect myself and my children on the way..."

He was silenced by her tone of voice, sensing the hurt and hardness, experiences too raw to be spoken aloud. So he remained silent, letting her surprisingly capable and strong hands work the knots in his back and shoulders. What to do with the woman? Perhaps having her around wouldn't be too bad... He bent over further as she worked down his lower back. His eyes closed, Sesshoumaru exhaled deeply, groaning softly.

"You're so tense..." the feminine voice murmured more sensual to his ears than he was sure she was conscious of or intended.

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open and he sat straight. "Enough," he said more harshly than he meant. How easily she could encourage him to let his guard down set him on edge. "Thank you. I wish to be left alone now." He didn't face her yet. She had the dangerous ability of endearing herself.

"Very well. Good night then, Sesshoumaru. Shall I draw your bed for you?" She looked at him from the doorway.

"No. You're not my wife. No need to behave as such. Good night."

The dismissal was clear. Kagome gazed at him, expression unfathomable. "Very well. I'm just trying to be of help. Good night." She vanished from view.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sesshoumaru diverted himself from invasive thoughts of her by throwing himself into paperwork. It worked. Two hours later, he ghosted down the halls to his bedroom. He paused, however, outside of his brother's widow's room. She was crying. Her sobs were quiet, but she sat there, in the dark, sobbing alone. His half-brother's name passed her lips, and with that he moved on to his own room, his bed drawn. "Hn."

"Uncle Sesshoumaru!" The boy's voice was loud. The girl was right behind him, silent.

He looked down at the two children. "Yes?"

"Want to see a trick?"

"A trick."

"Rin! Stand in front of me."

The little girl trotted into place with a toothy grin, big brown eyes looking up at Sesshoumaru.

"I'm now going to make flowers appear out of Rin's ear!" the boy announced grandly, flourishing his arms. He adopted a visage of deep concentration, waving his hands next to Rin's ear, flowers suddenly jettisoning forth. "Ta-da!"

The girl giggled. Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. "Brava," he murmured, knowing the cynicism would be lost on the child.

"Wanna see another one? I can--"

"Rin? Shippo!" Kagome's voice echoed around the corner, followed shortly by the woman herself. "There you are! I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. Were they bothering you?"

"Kagome. Good morning. Your children are very entertaining.."

She gave him a brief harried smile and then murmured next to the children's ears, "I told you not to bother your uncle.."

"They are fine, Kagome. Now, I have work to do. Feel free to make use of my grounds. Make sure the children don't break anything if they wish to play indoors."

She nodded and steered them away, murmuring quietly.

Sesshoumaru watched her go and then made his way to his office, ordering tea from the servants.

A pattern developed within the first three weeks: Sesshoumaru woke early, joined by Kagome for morning tea. The children were woken within the next hour, fed, and then Kagome and her children and Sesshoumaru parted ways. Sesshoumaru went to work. Kagome and the kids went out of doors, doing Sesshoumaru knew not what on his grounds. He skipped lunch. Dinner was had collectively after Sesshoumaru spent the afternoon training and exercising. Kagome spent her afternoons teaching the children. After dinner, Kagome put the children to bed at dusk and she frequently returned to chat.

Sesshoumaru found he valued this time. She was an intelligent woman and brought interesting ideas to the table, challenging his point of view. She was also well-read, an idea shocking to him when aligned with the fact that she had been married to his half-brother Not, to say, that his brother had been a complete barbarian and chauvinistic pig, but he frequently never saw beyond his own needs.

"The children are put to bed?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking up as Kagome re-entered the dining room.

She sighed. "Yes. Finally." She sat down again, next to him at the low table.

Sesshoumaru's lips twitched again into an almost smile. "You do a good job with them. I applaud your stamina and discipline."

She glanced at him, surprise written clearly on her face. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru..."

"I have a meeting in a week and a half."

"Oh."

"I'll need to leave very early the day after tomorrow for travelling purposes, and then I shall return as soon as possible afterwards. I shall most likely be returning in about three weeks."

"Oh."

He glanced at her, her silence making him feel the need to further explain himself. "You shall be entirely safe here while I'm gone."

She shook herself. "Of course. I was surprised is all. Of course you have meetings. It had just never occurred to me."

Had he been able to read her better, he might have thought she were disappointed. "You are comfortable here? Is there anything you need to make you more comfortable?"

Kagome's smile warmed him. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I'm sure we'll be fine. You've done plenty already in allowing the children and I to stay here. Is there anything you want me to do in your absence?"

He shook his head. "No. Join me for a drink?"

"Ah... I would love to."

Sesshoumaru called the servants for wine. "The good stuff tonight."

"Ah! Excellent." She giggled. "I'm flattered," she continued, bowing her head in thanks.

Sesshoumaru said nothing. Just waited.

When the servants delivered the wine, Kagome leaned forward. "I'll serve, if you don't mind."

Again, Sesshoumaru found himself surprised by the woman, yet her hand tipped the bottle with grace and control. "Who are you?"

Then she did slip. But only a drop. "I beg your pardon?"

"My half-brother ran off with no money. You must have come from money. Your skills, grace... You laugh. Why?"

"Sesshoumaru, I don't come from money. I'm not graceful. It's all pragmatism. And..." She fixed him with a look. "You really didn't know your brother at all, did you?"

"Of course not," he replied stiffly. "He left."

Her head tilted to the side reprovingly. "The way he tells it is he was driven away."

His spine stiffened. "My half-brother--"

"Was a good man, Sesshoumaru. Your _brother_ treated me well. He provided for his family." She set down her empty glass, refilling it quickly.

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru leaned forward, refilling his own glass. "He certainly hadn't had any sort of responsibility while at home. And, you drink quickly for a woman. How long had you been married?"

She tossed her hair, blue eyes flashing. "You're pushy, Sesshoumaru."

"Pushy?" He reeled back mentally. "Woman, you--"

"Inu Yasha and I were married for seven and a half years. You, I assume, have never been married."

"I haven't," he replied, voice deadpan, unsure what it was she was she was implying.

"And it's not hard to see why, Sesshoumaru. You've no social skills! You keep to yourself, never interact with others unless you're forced to, and you certainly make no efforts to change." She folded her arms, drawing his eyes to her breasts.

"You, woman, are offensive and out of line!" He said heatedly, incredulous. How dare she! This was _not_ allowed. No one pushed him around, and he was certainly not socially clumsy. His father and tutors had seen to that. How dare she! Was he really being brow-beaten by this slip of a woman?

"You see, Sesshoumaru! You have no fun," she laughed. "You get all wound up; you never relax. I bet you never even drink too much. You're always in control."

"I've been drunk before--"

"Have not."

"--and don't enjoy it."

"Mm-hmm." Kagome fixed him with a challenging gaze, sipping calmly.

He growled under his breath. "You're cheeky, woman."

Her laugh was warm and rich.

This was going to be a mistake, Sesshoumaru thought as he tipped back his glass and promptly refilled it. "Fine then. I accept your challenge."

She grinned. "Excellent, sir. To your health. Though I never made any challenge." She tipped back and refilled.

They kept at it for longer than they should have.

"You see? Now you've done it... I'm very drunk," he slurred, lips feeling thick and heavy.

Kagome giggled. "Perfect! You need to relax."

"I'm relaxed!"

"I know!" She chirped.

His hand brushed hers as they reached for the bottle at the same time. "Sorry! You go ahead," she told him brightly and then laughed. "I... ha... I haven't been this drunk since Yasha and I..." Kagome hiccuped. "Oh dear..." Tears all of a sudden began to drip down her face. "H-how cliché... I don't mean to..."

"I know you cry for him every night," Sesshoumaru murmured solemnly, leaning towards her.

Her eyes widened. "I... I'm sorry! I don't mean to disturb you." She hiccuped again.

"You don't..." Sesshoumaru whispered, staring at her, surprised to find it was true. "I..." He clamped his lips shut against the words that would suddenly seem out of place.

Pulling the sleeve of her kimono over her hand, she wiped at the tears. "S-sorry... I... I'm apparently drunker than I thought as well."

This time he allowed himself a smile as he looked up into her eyes, leaning on his elbow. "Sfine... You've impressed me with your propensity for holding liquor."

Her response was a snuffly giggle. "Even drunk you're formal... Who taught you to speak?"

Leaning back, he stuck his nose in the air. "I grew up in my father's courts. Language is always formal. Was. Was formal... My mother..." He frowned resulting in another chuckle from the woman.

She sighed and pushed herself to her feet, swaying slightly. "I should get some rest."

He followed her lead and stood, his advanced metabolism giving him the advantage of sobering more quickly. "I shall walk you to your room."

She gave him a bobbing bow. "Thank you, sir. For I could never make it back on my own..."

He gave her a look and then noticed the merriment in her eyes. He shook his head, regretting the decision immediately. Brushing past her, he was stopped by her arm suddenly linked with his. He processed this and then directed her into the hall.

"You know..." She said quietly after a moment. "You really are like your brother. I doubt you'd really want to hear this, but you are. It's not a bad thing."

"I don't hate my half-brother, Kagome," he returned. "I never really knew him. He's very much a stranger to me."

She nodded. "He looked up to you."

This surprised him. He'd always figured the little brat hated him. They hadn't been close as children. They'd received different instruction from different tutors, himself being groomed for court and ruling, his younger half-sibling allowed to run free. He'd envied him sometimes, in the secret recesses of his heart. He envied the child allowed to be responsibility-free.

"Well, good night," Kagome murmured. She stopped in front of her door, her cheeks still very much flushed from intoxication.

"Good night, Kagome." He dropped his arm and gave her a small nod. "I shall see you in the morning."

She gave him a brief smile and then disappeared behind the sliding door leaving him to the silence of the late hours and his contrastingly noisy thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: I apologise for uploading such a poorly-edited first chapter! I've made some minor edits, if you care to go back and reread. Thanks for comments and reviews!

* * *

The presence of Kagome and her children had become an accepted fixture at his house. She brought a lightness to his home during the day that hadn't been there previously. During the night, he still heard her muffled sobs every once in a while. She was an able woman. He was still realising just how good a woman she was and how much his brother didn't deserve her.

Little feet and childish shrieks of laughter passed by his study door. The girl-child Rin specifically pulled at his heart. She was darling and reminded him of a doll, sharing her mother's rich blue-black hair. The boy was brash and confident, like his half-brother. It was grating. But the child was innocent.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome said breathlessly as she threw open his study door. "I told the children I'd teach them to shoot. May I borrow your range? Do you have bows small enough for children?"

Swallowing a sigh, he stood. "Follow me," he ordered, breezing by her. He led the way to the shooting range, rebuking the children to calm down and managed to procure a child-sized bow.

"Me first! Me first!" Shippo exclaimed, dancing around excitedly.

"Rin asked first, Shippo," Kagome said gently with a reproving glance as she handed the bow to her daughter.

"I didn't know you knew how to shoot," Sesshoumaru commented idly despite himself.

The sparkle in her eyes surprised him. "Of course. I'm quite good. I was a miko before I married Yasha."

"Momma's the best!" Shippo said proudly.

"The best..." Sesshoumaru repeated dryly.

"Watch," she mouthed. "Okay, Rin honey. Watch Mommy. You hold the bow like this when it's not loaded. Never ever point it at someone when it is loaded. You turn it sideways and load the arrow like this and then you turn it again and draw back, guiding with your finger, you see?"

Rin watched raptly as Kagome loosed the arrow. It's path was straight and true, thunking into the target, dead centre.

"I'm impressed," Sesshoumaru said lowly, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Toldya!" Shippo cried.

"Do it again."

Kagome drew and fired at the neighbouring target, again hitting perfect centre. She glanced over the children's heads and smirked.

"My turn!" Rin shouted, following Kagome's direction enthusiastically. Her arrow went about two feet.

"How many times in a row can you do that?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

"Almost every time."

"You lie."

"Not at all—Rin, guide with your finger." She raised and shot at the next target over, again hitting centre.

"It is statistically impossible."

"It is, but I'm fairly consistent. As you can see." She gave him a small smirk.

He arched an eyebrow and made a small noise indicating he was impressed. "I have things to attend to. I must pack as well."

Her attention was all on him. "Pack?"

"Yes."

She stared at him, waiting for more.

"You do not remember?"

"Remember what?"

"What's going on?" Shippo's attention was drawn to the two adults and his mother's concerned tones.

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "This is not something to become concerned with. Kagome, I told you I had a meeting to attend. I need to leave tomorrow morning."

"Oh. Of course. You did tell me that. I had forgotten." She laughed.

He arched an eyebrow at her that might have been amused. "Of course."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"You're leaving?" Shippo chirped.

"Leaving?" Rin exclaimed, dropping the bow as her concentration was broken.

Sesshoumaru sighed.

Giving him a look full of sympathy, Kagome put a hand on his arm. "Go ahead and do what you have to; I'll explain to the children."

Nodding gratefully, he beat a graceful retreat.

It was still dark when he was ready to leave the next morning. Yet he still hovered outside of Kagome's door, debating whether or not to knock and announce his departure. They had said good-bye the previous evening, but he didn't know where he stood with her. She seemed flirtatious, yet the grief of her husband's death still hung heavy in her heart. He frowned.

Without knocking, he turned and left, making his way out front to where his convoy awaited. After giving Jaken last minute reminders and instructions, he left, his brother's widow still very present in his mind.

Sesshoumaru spurred his horse, now that his estate was in sight, glad the week had passed quickly. He couldn't help but be excited to see the dark-haired woman and her precocious children again. Handing his horse over to the stable master he strode inside, intent on bathing the dust from his person.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken came running up to him, arms flailing.

"Can it wait, Jaken" He replied tiredly. He wanted to bathe and relax before dinner.

Jaken hesitated.

"Yes. Tell me later."

"But Sesshoumaru-sama!" His servant wailed. 'That infernal woman has been making a mess of everything!"

He sighed. "I can deal with that later. Do not bother me." Leaving behind the gaping toad, he shut his room door and slowly shed his armour, stripping his clothes to step into his private hot spring. The warmth immediately ease any aches and stiffness from being in the saddle.

Leaning back against the rocks, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to doze lightly, his anticipation for seeing the miko colouring his dreams. He woke suddenly as the water covered his nose. Sputtering, he chided himself and decided to get out.

As he dressed, Sesshoumaru's houghts turned back to the woman and how he was suddenly 'making a mess of everything.' The halls and rooms he now passed all seemed cleanly up to his expectations. He frowned. Nothing had seemed out of place. Perhaps Jaken was being over-sensitive.

Up ahead, Rin rounded a corner. Spotting him, her wide gap-toothed grin spread wide, she sped towards him with a joyful squeal."Papa!"

His heart clenched.

The girl latched n to his red kimono. "Guess what! Guess what! Rin's green peppers are growing!"

His voice oddly refused to come out. He stared at the small girl.

"Isn't it great! Shippo's green beans still haven't started yet!"

"Rin?" Kagome's voice called for the girl.

"And Rin's tomatoes are small and green, but they're bigger than Shippo's! Mommy says Rin has a green thumb," she informed him.

"Rin, who are you—oh." Kagome rounded the corner, staring at the pair. "Sesshoumaru..." she said quietly, her blue eyes focused on him brightly, drying her hands on the towel held in them, tucking it into the pocket of the apron she wore.

His eyes pleaded for help. "Kagome..."

She shook the misty startled look away and smiled warmly at him "Welcome home. Rin, honey. Let Uncle Sesshoumaru go."

The little girl unfisted her hands and ran back to her mother. "Rin finished her chores!"

"Good girl. Why don't you go tell Shippo I want the table set for four. You give him a hand, okay?"

Rin nodded and sped off. "Shiiiiiiiippoooooo!"

"Sesshoumaru; you're home. Are you alright?"

He frowned, shifting his eyes to meet hers. "She... She called me 'papa.'" He stared at her as if demanding explanation.

Kagome's eyebrows rose and then relaxed. "Oh," she breathed. "She probably..." Kagome shook her head. "You're wearing red. And resemble Yasha with your silver hair. It's...." her voice trailed off. "She's a child," she murmured more to herself. "Confused..." Kagome drifted forward, her fingers reaching out to clutch his sleeve, rubbing the material between her fingers. "Almost easy," she whispered.

Sesshoumaru let the silence stretch between the before saying quietly but firmly, "I am not my brother."

Kagome jolted and met his eyes, quick enough to see his hurt expression chased away, stoic mask once again in its place. She tittered, flushing. Of course. I never said you were. You two are too different. It's just that he always wore red and had similar hair." She smiled at him reassuringly. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you come and sit?"

The moment was past. He nodded, blinking in surprise as she took his hand and led him to his own dining room. Taunting smells caught his noses they passed the kitchen. "Smells good," he commented.

"Hm? Oh! Dinner. Thank you! I think you'll like it!"

"You cooked?"

"Yes. Why?"

He shook his head "The cooks usually take care of that."

"Yes. I thought I'd give them a break tonight. I wanted to cook something to welcome you home." She grinned and gave him a finger-tipped push into the dining room. "Go ahead and sit. I'll be right in."

Sesshoumaru found himself facing two small children sitting like adults, across from each other, at a nicely-set table.

"You're back!" "Papa!" Shippo and Rin said in unison.

"Rin, he's not daddy..." Shippo said plainly.

"I know. But he looks like him and does work and laughs with Mommy, so he's 'papa.' But not 'daddy,'" the small girl said stoutly.

Shippo thought a minute but seemed to accept that and shrugged.

Folding his long limbs under him, Sesshoumaru lowered himself to the floor next to Rin.

There was silence for the five minutes until Kagome entered with a large pot bringing tantalising scents with her. The children erupted into excited comments.

"Settle down," Kagome reprimanded.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Just wait," his brother's widow chided with a small smile. She finished serving and then sat. "Okay! Go ahead and eat!"

Looking sceptically at the bowl of what appeared to be some sort of soup, Sesshoumaru sniffed it again inconspicuously. The children were devouring it voraciously, so he lifted his spoon and took a bit. "Mm!" He couldn't help the appreciative noise.

"What? You didn't think it was going to be any good."

"It is very good, Kagome. You shall have to give the recipe to the cooks."

"Or I could just make it myself. I have a special ingredient." She looked at her children and lifted a finger to her lips.

Sesshoumaru was missing something. The unasked question hung in the air while Shippo and Rin giggled conspiratorially. So he asked.

"The secret ingredient is—"

"Love!" the children chorused.

He smiled wanly at something so cliché. "I see."

Later after dinner, Kagome put the children to bed and was surprised to find Sesshoumaru watching her as she exited the room, shutting the door behind her. "You startled me."

"Sorry."

She smiled at him anyway. "Welcome back."

"Thank you." He smiled back. "I am glad to have returned."

Tilting her head slightly, she moved in towards him, wrapping her arms around his torso. "I've missed you, Sesshoumaru."

Surprise superseded other functions, but he was passed it shortly and wrapped his arms around her, noting how well she seemed to fit there. "I... have missed you as well, Kagome."

Stepping back, she looked up into his face, searching for something. After a moment of Sesshoumaru not knowing if she'd found it, she said, "I'm sure it's been a long day. We should go to bed. Good night, Sesshoumaru."

"Ah, yes...." he replied, wondering at the woman's ability to keep him on his toes.

With a last smile, she turned and wandered down the hall to her room, leaving Sesshoumaru with nothing better to do than do the same.


End file.
